Modesty and kindliness

The following text was given to me by father in the form of an old printed glossy sheet with ‘Courtesy of: Weider Sports Equipment Co Ltd’ stamped on the back. It must be very old because it is a long time since my father (84) bought any sports equipment! There is no indication of where the text comes from, though it has a Middle Eastern ring, and if anyone recognizes the source please let me know. The presentation is very simple, almost naïve by today’s standards, but I find it all the more effective for its simplicity. I think it deserves to be read again. (There is another text on the back called ‘Noble behaviour’, which I will post next).

Modesty and kindliness

Where words abound, sin is not wanting;
He who controls his tongue is a wise man.
Whatever an evil man fears will befall him;
The desire of the righteous will be granted.
A kind man does good to himself;
A cruel man does himself harm.
A fool is sure his own way is right;
A wise man will listen to advice.
A man of quick temper acts foolishly;
But a man of discretion is patient.
A gentle answer turns away wrath;
But harsh words stir up anger.
He who returns evil for good,
Evil will never leave his house.
A happy heart helps and heals;
A broken spirit dries up the bones.
Even a fool is counted wise if he keeps silent;
With closed lips he is thought intelligent.
A good name is a better choice than riches;
A good reputation is more than silver and gold.
If your enemy is hungry, give him food;
Give him water if he is thirsty.
You see a man wise in his own eyes –
More hope for a fool than for him.
The door turns on its hinges,
And the lazy man upon his back.
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it;
The stone a man sets rolling rebounds upon himself.
Let others praise you, not yourself;
Not your own lips but someone else.
Happy the man who lives in fear of sin;
Reckless men will come to grief.

Why did the stream dry up?

I came across the following poem by Rabindranath Tagore in that excellent French language edition of the Tao Te Ching, Tao Te King, Le livre du Tao et de sa vertu (Éditions Dervy, Paris). In the explanatory notes, the translator quotes the poem as a parallel example of the Taoist virtue of 'non-desire' in another philosphic tradition.
The poem moved me greatly when I read it. How true it is that we often ruin a relationship, a project, a situation, by smothering it with our selfish desires instead of allowing it to unfold naturally.
Here is my own English translation of the beautiful French version of the Bengali poem found in this book.

Why did the lamp go out? I covered it with my cloak to shelter it from the wind… That is why the lamp went out.
Why did the flower fade? I pressed it against my heart full of love and anxiety… That is why the flower faded.
Why did the stream dry up? I put a dam across it to keep the water for my use alone… That is why the stream dried up.
Why did the harp-string break? I wanted it to play a note that it could not attain… That is why the harp-string broke. Rabindranath Tagore 1861-1941

Guidelines for emperors

I like to browse old bookstores and many years ago I came upon a book, ‘The Story of Oriental Philosophy’, by L. Adams Beck. It was published in Philadelphia in 1928, long before Zen, Taoism and other oriental philosophies were much known in the west, still less mainstream as they are today. The book is full of treasures, not least of which is an account of Confucius and his disciples visiting the emperor’s court in the city of Lo in Ho-nan. He is greeted by one of the ministers of the emperor who shows him the Hall of Light, where past emperors gave audience to the feudal princes.

(Confucius) walked about, examining with deep content all the arrangements handed down from antiquity, and sighed with pleasure.
‘Now I know the great wisdom of the Duke of Chao and how his house attained to the imperial throne!’ he said with deep satisfaction…
In the hall of the ancestral temple was a statue of a man with three needles fastening his lips. The disciples grouped themselves about it, while the master read aloud the inscriptions upon the back, of which I give a part:

Do not be overanxious for relaxation or repose. He who is so, will achieve neither.

If a man does not resent slight injustices he will soon be called upon to face giant wrongs.

Heed words as well as acts; thoughts also; and remember even when alone that the divine is everywhere.

A sapling may be easily uprooted. With a tree an axe is needed.

Do not glory in your strength. There is always a stronger.

The masses and ordinary men have small prescience or power in dealing with the unknown and can only follow a leader.

Heaven has no favourites.

The ocean is full. Yet inflowing rivers do not overflow it.

My mouth is closed; I cannot speak. Do not consult me. I cannot solve your doubts and I have nothing to ask. My teaching is enigmatic and true.

I stand elevated above you, but no man can harm me. What mortal can say so much?

A house may be burned by smouldering fire, when a fierce flame would have shown itself and have been easily extinguished.

A river is the flux of many streams.

The union of many threads makes an unbreakable cord.